Tour Review: My Boyfriend Merlin by Priya Ardis (Giveaway)

Title: My Boyfriend Merlin
Series: My Merlin #1
Author: Priya Ardis
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction,
Elements: Wizards, Witches
Publisher: Ink Lion Books
Format: PDF, 148 Pages 
ISBN: 978-0-9848339-0-0
Release Date: December 1, 2011
Source: Author {Priya Ardis} 
Rating: 5/5

Purchase Here: Kindle // Paperback

Tagline(s): If you can't trust your boyfriend, who can you trust? / He was a little older than he was letting on. By a few eons...

Summary: In this modern day Arthurian, 17 year-old Boston high schooler Arriane, aka Ryan, DuLac just found out the guy she's been crushing on, hot biker Matt, is a little older than he was letting on. In fact, he is really Merlin—the Merlin, King Arthur's Merlin, the greatest wizard who ever lived. Frozen in a cave for over fifteen hundred years, he's woken for a purpose. But Ryan's not impressed. Tired of being a relationship loser, she'd rather kick his legendary behind. 

Sure, the world has been crazy ever since the sword and the stone fell out of the sky like a meteor. But despite gruesome gargoyles, a deadly new world of magic, and the guy driving her crazy, Ryan knows that family is everything. Will Merlin sacrifice hers to save the world? Will she be able to stop him?


Review: 

Ryan DuLac had had a crush on Matt Emrys since she first saw him, but for reasons she doesn't understand, Matt broke it off before anything could get started. This makes things awkward between them, because even though Matt doesn't seem to care about her anymore, Ryan still has feelings for him. She just wants him to leave her alone, and it doesn't help when Matt is sending her mixed signals.

There are two things that complicate matters. The first is the sword in the stone and the fact that Matt is really the most powerful wizard in history, the famous Merlin. The second is Vane, Matt's brother. Vane has a past with Ryan that she didn't even remember until the Candidate test.

This love triangle really kept my attention. I would normally root for Matt in this case, but his hot-and-cold act really annoyed me. Although Vane seems like a bad boy through-and-through, like most bad boys Vane is pretty good on the inside, but still shelfish. He just doesn't show that side of himself that often. So I grew to really like Vane and I was rooting for him in the end.

Another great thing about My Boyfriend Merlin is the action. The action starts pretty early in the story with the Gargoyle attack. From deadly car chases to kidnapping and murder attempts, the action is non-stop. This keeps the story exciting and the romance keeps us swooning.

I am a HUGE fan of anything Arthurian, so I was really excited to check out this series. And I wasn't disappointed. There's love, hate, betrayal, sacrifice, and hope. Everything an Arthurian tale should have. In my opinion, Priya Ardis wrote an amazing story worthy of being in the Arthurian saga. This new modern take on a beloved classic is a story fans of the Arthurian legends shouldn't miss.

About this Author:

Priya Ardis loves books of all kinds—but especially the gooey ones that make your nose leak and let your latte go cold. She started her first book at sixteen, writing in notebooks on long train rides during a hot summer vacation in India. Her favorite Arthurian piece is the poem The Lady of Shalott by Lord Alfred Tennyson. A hopeless romantic, she's a longtime member of the Romance Writer's of America. When not living in her characters' world, she might be found at the local coffee shop—her nose buried in a book. 

Website: http://www.priyaardis.com 
Blog: http://merlinblogs.priyaardis.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/priyaardis
Twitter: https://twitter.com/priyaardis

GIVEAWAY:

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Challenge Review: The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

Title: The Darkest Night
Series: Lords of the Underworld #1
Author: Gena Showalter
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Immortals, Demons, Deities, Psychic Abilities
Publisher: HQN Books, Harlequin Books
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 379 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-0-373-77522-4
Release Date: May 1, 2008
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4/5

Tagline(s): His Powers--Inhuman. His passion--Beyond Immortal...

Summary: All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To End the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member--a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger that calms their torments...and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction--and a soul-shattering test of love....

Review:

This first book in the Lords of the Underworld series, The Darkest Night, is full of mythology and steamy romance. But the story is kind of slow and doesn't really pick up until the end. With many books that start a series, the first book sets up the world and the characters, and that's usually what makes it seem slow. Many readers don't like books like this, but I really enjoy them because these books are the introduction to the series.

Maddox is one of twelve immortal warriors who were once protectors to the gods. When those gods chose a woman to guard a box holding the worst demons, pride overtook the twelve and they killed the woman--Pandora-- and opened the box, unleashing all the demons inside upon the world. As punishment, the twelve warriors were to house the demons within themselves and were then banished from the heavens.

Maddox's demon is Violence. This makes him the strongest, most violent, and most lethal of the twelve Lords. For thousands of years he's been tormented. But one day when the hill to their fortress is breached, Maddox goes out expecting to find Hunters invading their home, but instead he finds Ashlyn. Ashlyn went in search of the Lords hoping that they could help her control her ability to hear the voices of the past. Both know their own share of torment, and have only ever found peace and happiness when they are together.

In other reviews I've read for this book, readers found the romance between Maddox and Ashlyn full of drama and the dialogue cheesy. But I really love the relationship Maddox and Ashlyn have. I found it sweet and even fragile at times. Maybe it's the strength of their bond that I loved most. A love that is so strong that absolutely nothing can destroy it is something that we can only wish for in the real world.

We also get to meet to other women who will play major roles in upcoming books, Danika and Anya. They are both left as mysteries at the end of The Darkest Night (which is only right, otherwise there would be nothing to tell in the future). We'll get to learn more about Anya in The Darkest Kiss and Danika in The Darkest Pleasure, books two and three in the Lords of the Underworld series.

About this Author:

Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in French, Italian and Korean. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”. 

The Darkest Night is the first book I've read for the Mythology Romance Reading Challenge hosted by Reading Between the Wines Book Club.

Review: The Mephisto Covenant: The Redemption of Ajax by Trinity Faegen

Title: The Mephisto Covenant: The Redemption of Ajax
Series: The Mephisto Covenant #1
Author: Trinity Faegen
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Angels, Demons
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Format: Hardcover, 438 Pages
ISBN: 978-1-60684-170-9
Release Date: September 27, 2011
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 4.5/5

Tagline(s): ~NONE~

Summary: Only a daughter of Eve is pure enough of spirit to love a son of Hell. Only a son of Hell could be this hot.

Sasha is desperate to find out who murdered her father. When getting the answer means pledging her soul to Eryx, she unlocks a secret that puts her in grave danger--she is an Anabo, a daughter of Eve, and Eryx's biggest threat.

A son of Hell, immortal, and bound to Earth forever, Jax looks for redemption in the Mephisto Covenant--God's promise he will find peace in the love of an Anabo. After a thousand years, he's finally found the girl he's been searching for: Sasha.

With the threat of Eryx always looming, Jax knows he has to keep Sasha safe and win her over. But can he? Will Sasha love him and give up her mortal life?

Review:

The Redemption of Ajax is rich in mythology; particularly in the mythology of Mephistopheles and the Faustian legend. In order to understand the book better, you need to know at least a little about the myth. In the legend, Mephistopheles is seen as a devil--a worker for Satan--who Faust wagered his soul against. In other stories he's portrayed as a fallen angel trapped in his own hell by serving the Devil, he regrets losing God and the joys of heaven, and is torn between pride and despair. The name Mephistopheles comes from the Hebrew mephitz which means "destroyer" and tophel which means "liar."

Not only does Trinity Faegen use the Faustian legend she also fills out the story with pieces of Greek myth, Russian history, Christian religion, and her own elements of myth with the creation of the Anabo and the Mephisto Covenant.

In The Redemption of Ajax, it's Eryx who takes on the role that is traditionally Mephistopheles' by sending his skia out to gain members to the Ravens by pledging their souls to Eryx. Eryx's goal is to build up his followers and take Hell from Lucifer.

The only ones who stand in his way are his brothers--the Mephisto. Kyros, Phoenix, Denys, Xenos, Titus, and Ajax, all work to capture the lost souls Eryx has gained and their skia and toss them into Hell on Earth. That means many less followers for Eryx, which limits his power.

Now, while the Mephisto try to save humanity, the only ones who can offer the Mephisto redemption are the Anabo--daughters of Eve. Because they are without the temptation to sin and are souls of light, Anabo can sense evil a lot easier than anyone else. This also makes them the only ones who have the ability or capacity to love the Mephisto. The only problem is that their numbers are few and far between.

The Mephisto Covenant itself is a deal Mephistopheles made with God when Ajax and his brothers became immortal. A way for them to earn a chance at heaven. If they can love selflessly, they would have peace and a fair shot at heaven. But the only girl who wouldn't run screaming from them is an Anabo. If she loves the one intended for her and he loves her back for real, not only will he get redemption, she will become Mephisto, become immortal, and join the fight against Eryx. Whats more, she will still be Anabo as well as never losing heaven. Their children will be like her--a mix of Mephisto and Anabo--and when they are grown they will join the fight.

Some may think that this book has too much information or attention to detail in the story, but if you're someone who really gets into the story when reading a book--likes knowing the details behind circumstances and events--you will barely notice, when others felt barraged with information.

I love how their name meanings match up with their personalities and characteristics. The Mephisto's names--Kyros means "leader" or "master," Phoenix means "rising bird," Xenos means "stranger," Titus means "giant," Denys means or comes from "servant of Dionysus," and Ajax means " powerful warrior"--help describe the brother's characteristics, circumstances, or positions. I thought that Sasha's name--her given name, Alexandra--was the perfect name for an Anabo. What better name for an Anabo than one that means "defender of men"?

As I've mentioned in many of my other reviews, I love a romance that's not instantaneous. I love when it builds and grows over a period of time. It makes it more real and believable. Sasha and Ajax's love definitely wasn't instant. The attraction was, but not the love. They both resist for as long as they can; weighing the consequences, and trying to decide what's best for the other and themselves. This brings about some very steamy and swoon-worthy moments when their restraint slips. When they finally allow themselves to give in to what they really feel for each other it's an emotionally powerful moment.

I've read in other reviews that people were disappointed in how the book ended, but I don't think it could have ended any other way than how Trinity wrote it. I really loved all the attention to myth, names, and details in the story. It has a depth that I couldn't help diving head-first into.

About this Author:

Trinity Faegen wasn’t always a writer. She had an illustrious career as a Campus Cop in college, led many children astray as a camp counselor, and decorated Christmas trees for sweet, and notsosweet, little old ladies. She loves metal and rock, the Rocky mountains, chocolate cake and college football. She hates sappy stuff and hypocrites. Mostly, though, she loves to write.

Trinity lives in the outback of Texas with her husband and a mean cat. If you’d like to share camp stories, or ask Trinity why she’s ruining her hearing by listening to metal on headphones, write to her at:  trinity@trintiyfaegen.com

PART OF....

Review: Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Title: Carrier of the Mark
Series: The Carrier Trilogy #1
Author: Leigh Fallon
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
Elements: Magic, Druids, Spirit Guides, Deities, Mythology
Publisher: Harper TEEN, Harper Collins
Format: Paperback, 344 Pages
ISBN: 978-0-06-202787-0
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Source: Borrowed from Wentworth Library
Rating: 5/5

Tagline(s): Their love was meant to be.

Summary: When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRis.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago---and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

Review:

I was intrigued by the use of the elements in Carrier of the Mark and how their power influenced Megan and Adam's relationship. I like how the story takes place in Ireland, a place rich with mythology and folklore, and somewhere I hope to visit one day. But most of all, I love stories with star-crossed lovers and their struggle to make their relationship last.

Carrier of the Mark follows Megan as she settles into her new life in Ireland---she makes new friends almost immediately, has a few run-ins with the mysterious and undeniably gorgeous Adam DeRis, and is able to finally call Ireland home. It makes you wonder whether Megan's easy transition is coincidence, fate, or something else. But her connection to Adam seems meant to be.

Megan is a very real character. She's someone many could relate to. She's had it rough after her mother's death---constantly moving and never having any lasting friendships---but she doesn't let that get her down. She's surprised by how smooth her transition into life in Ireland is. Megan is very mature and level-headed, even with all the unbelievable things being thrown her way. She doesn't freak out and try to run away. She faces it all head-on and doesn't give up when the going gets tough. Her determination to keep her relationship with Adam is so strong that some would consider her selfish, especially considering how important their duty is. Megan also shows amazing and fearsome power with her element.

Now Adam---who is usually calm, cool, and collected---becomes totally unhinged when he first sees Megan. He's tripping over his own feet, walking into doors, and making a complete fool of himself. But I have to say I found that side of him so adorable, and I even got a few chuckles out of it. Because of his family's need for secrecy, no one really knows Adam (which seems pretty lonely to me) until he opens up to Megan. He's very loyal, loving, and protective of those he cares about. His determination to stay with Megan is just as strong as hers is to stay with Adam which causes him to go into a research frenzy trying to find a way. Adam felt comfortable in the knowledge that he had the best control of his element out of those in his family, but a sudden increase in power teaches him that even he can lose control.

The question of whether or not the feelings Megan and Adam have for each other are their own or their element's attraction to the other adds drama and complication to their relationship. Do they really love each other or is it their elements pushing them together? And them there's the added problem of a Carrier not being able to be with another Marked One. Things could literally blow up in their faces. There is so much working to keep Adam and Megan apart, you can't help but wonder if there's any chance at all that they can make their relationship last. All of this makes for a really great star-crossed lovers story.

Leigh Fallon does such a wonderful job telling this story. Her descriptions of landscape, architecture, and the elements themselves is so vivid. I could picture everything so clearly I felt like I was right there walking those streets. The story grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I was completely blown away. Carrier of the Mark wasn't anything like I was expecting it to be. One thing I really likes was how she incorporated how to say the characters Irish names. A lot of authors don't do that and I'm left wondering if I'm saying their names correctly. She's created a world that I wish I could be a part of and that's what makes a memorable story I'm not likely to forget any time soon.

Quote: "Having these powers isn't all rainbows and moonbeams." - Chapter 11, Page 158

Book Trailer: 



About this Author:

I started out life in South Africa. A year later my parents moved home to Dublin, Ireland. When I was older and realized my parents had moved me from exotic Durban, to sedate Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, I was rightly ticked off. I fantasized about the amazing life I could have had in South Africa, and that fantastic accent that could have been all mine.

Instead, I got myself a fine Irish brogue growing up in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains where I went to a convent school and had to contend with uniforms, gabardines, and nuns.

During college I met a dashing sailor who swept me off my feet, all the way to Cork in the south of Ireland. I worked in corporate treasury and traveled Europe doing all sorts of fun finance stuff.

When I had my children I decided to take a career break, and soon discovered a love of writing. That career break became a career change when I wrote my debut novel, Carrier of the Mark.

I posted Carrier of the Mark on a HarperCollins website called inkpop. Within weeks it was voted into the top five books of thousands on the site, and was reviewed by a HarperTeen editor. Two months later that same editor offered me my first publishing contract.

My husband swept me off my feet again, this time in a westerly direction, we landed in Massachusetts, USA, where we now live with our four children and one double pawed cat.

Review: Fury by Elizabeth Miles

Title: Fury
Series: The Fury Trilogy #1
Author: Elizabeth Miles
Genre: Young Adult Supernatural
Elements: Furies
Publisher: Simon Pulse, Simon and Schuster Inc.
ISBN-13: 9781442422247
ISBN: 1442422246 
Release: August 30, 2011
Rating: 3/5


Tagline(s): Sometimes sorry isn't enough. / What goes around comes around.

Summary:

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen. 

Review: 

Characters

Emily Winters is one of the IN crowd. She could have any guy she wants. But the guy she does want just happens to be her best friend's boyfriend. And he's showing an interest he really shouldn't be showing. When Em's BFF goes on vacation, she spends some quality time with the BF. And as they get closer strange things start happening. Em better watch out, or she's gonna get burned.

Chase Singer seemingly has it all---he's popular, quarterback of the football team, and recently met the most beautiful girl. But behind that facade is the real Chase---he lives in a trailer, doesn't have much money, and has a terrible secret. As his carefully constructed mask begins to crumble around him, Chase starts to come unraveled himself.

Ty, Meg, and Ali are the furies, or the Angry Ones. Tisiphone, Megaera, and Alecto. The furies are merciless in their pursuit of punishment. And the punishment must fit the crime. You definitely don't want to ever gain the attention of these three girls. 

Theme

There are three themes that correspond with the three characters I mentioned earlier. 

In Em's case, she betrays her best friend and cheats with said best friend's boyfriend. I guess, technically, that's two themes, but I'm putting them together as one. Em knows what she's doing is wrong and that is will hurt her BFF, but she truly believes that the BF, Zach, really cares for her. When she finds out that he's just been playing her, she ends it, but the damage has already been done.

The theme in Chase's case is, you could say, a type of bullying. I can't say too much or I might give something away, but Chase does something that drove an old childhood friend to suicide.

And it's obvious that with Ty, Meg, and Ali the theme is vengeance or punishment. As it is a fury's job to punish those who have done something wrong, they go after Em and Chase respectively for the wrong they both have done.

Plot

The plot switches between the POV's of Emily and Chase.

I think I would describe this book as a psychological thriller with elements of horror and the supernatural.

The mythology of the furies was used expertly in the character names, personalities, and behaviors. Though their names are shortened and modernized, you can still tell who is who. Ty is Tisiphone, Meg is Megaera, and Ali is Alecto. Their personalities and behaviors match up pretty well with their legendary selves as well.

Tisiphone is known as the avenging one who is the voice of revenge and the avenger of murder. So it makes sense how Ty in Fury is the spear point in exacting revenge against Chase who ultimately caused a suicide.

Megaera is known as the grudging or unwilling one who burns with envious anger and punishes for infidelity. Meg and Ali are the ones who exact punishment against Em for her cheating and betrayal.

Alecto is known as the unceasing one who is never-ending in her anger and castigates mortal crimes. Ali really is relentless when she interacts with Em, and seeing as infidelity can be considered a moral crime, it only makes sense that Meg and Ali work together to punish Em.

Setting

The story is set in Maine during the winter. Winter is sort of eery in itself. It's cold, ruthless, unrelenting, and quiet. The earth in its rest. It's easy to imagine something scary happening in such a setting. Winter is hauntingly beautiful, just like the furies are in the story. The furies themselves are like Winter; cold, ruthless, and quiet. Unrelenting in their purpose. For a story such as Fury, it doesn't seem right for it to takes place in any other season.

My Final Thoughts:

I thought that the beginning of the book was a little slow, which made it hard to really get into the story. Once the story started to pick up and more action was happening, it was really enjoyable. I love the mythology of the furies and how it's used in the book. The author has them appear in a modern setting and modernized their names, so it's like old meets new. I like how Em grows a backbone after her encounter with the furies. It's going to be interesting to see what happens in the next book, Envy, with Zach. He definitely deserves the wrath of the furies.

Quotes:

Chapter 16, Page 248

"It just seems like...everything comes full circle."

Chapter 24, Page 356

"It's much better this way, Em dear. It's perfect, really. The punishment has to fit the crime, you know." 

Chapter 25, Page 363

"This is wrong. You know it. You must know it. This is not justice. This is not karma. This isn't helping anything. You're not teaching anything. Ty. Please. What you did to Chase---what you're doing to me. It doesn't make any sense. It's not right. This isn't how the world should work."

About this Author:

Elizabeth Miles grew up in Chappaqua, New York, not far from New York City. She graduated from Boston University in 2004, and has worked ever since as a journalist for an alternative newsweekly. She has been honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. Elizabeth serves on the board of trustees of Portland Players, a community theater and second home. She loves pizza; she can often be found running around on stage while scantily clad; and a cold winter night in Maine is one of the creepiest and most beautiful things she can think of. Fury is Elizabeth’s first novel.